My body is annoying me - weird vacation reaction, advice needed big time!
SassyMoonbeams
Posts: 229 Member
Hi everybody!!
So I have lost about 110 lbs in the past year with the help of MFP and lifting. My goal is to lose about 50 more according to bmi.
Currently I weigh about 194, I'm 5'7" and 32 years old. MFP wants me to eat 1100 to lose 2 lbs a week but I have manually set at 1350 for months now and have been losing steadily about 10 lbs a month. I have no problems being "regular" and I drink around 16 glasses of water a day.
In early April I went on vacation back home to America for three weeks. While there, I didn't lift and maybe worked out a total of 7 times. Not including walking around and other activities etc. I ate whatever I wanted.
When I got home, I weighed in at 3 lbs heavier than when I left for vacation. I was shocked it wasn't more. However, one week later, I weighed in back around my starting weight from before I went on vacation. So maybe that was water retention??
I've been home for 3 weeks now. Back on my regular exercise and lifting and foods, back to my normal water intake. But I'm so hungry now. I don't know if it's because I honestly need to be eating more than 1350 a day, or if my body is spoiled like a child after eating all the things in America, or if this is a temporary elevated hunger due to getting back into lifting after a 3 week break (I was incredibly sore when i started again). My bmr is at about 1600, I have temporarily put my MFP calories up to 1500. I feel so bloated though and the scale is vacillating in .3 lb increments.
So what the heck! Does anyone have any idea what I'm experiencing here?? The lack of weight gain during vacation (is my metabolism just that much better now??), the lack of loss after 3 weeks home, more hunger (should I be eating at least bmr rather than MFP calculations?), weight loss slowing in Onederland? Has anyone gone through something similar?? I'm mystified!
So I have lost about 110 lbs in the past year with the help of MFP and lifting. My goal is to lose about 50 more according to bmi.
Currently I weigh about 194, I'm 5'7" and 32 years old. MFP wants me to eat 1100 to lose 2 lbs a week but I have manually set at 1350 for months now and have been losing steadily about 10 lbs a month. I have no problems being "regular" and I drink around 16 glasses of water a day.
In early April I went on vacation back home to America for three weeks. While there, I didn't lift and maybe worked out a total of 7 times. Not including walking around and other activities etc. I ate whatever I wanted.
When I got home, I weighed in at 3 lbs heavier than when I left for vacation. I was shocked it wasn't more. However, one week later, I weighed in back around my starting weight from before I went on vacation. So maybe that was water retention??
I've been home for 3 weeks now. Back on my regular exercise and lifting and foods, back to my normal water intake. But I'm so hungry now. I don't know if it's because I honestly need to be eating more than 1350 a day, or if my body is spoiled like a child after eating all the things in America, or if this is a temporary elevated hunger due to getting back into lifting after a 3 week break (I was incredibly sore when i started again). My bmr is at about 1600, I have temporarily put my MFP calories up to 1500. I feel so bloated though and the scale is vacillating in .3 lb increments.
So what the heck! Does anyone have any idea what I'm experiencing here?? The lack of weight gain during vacation (is my metabolism just that much better now??), the lack of loss after 3 weeks home, more hunger (should I be eating at least bmr rather than MFP calculations?), weight loss slowing in Onederland? Has anyone gone through something similar?? I'm mystified!
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Replies
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Gaining water weight during air travel is rather normal. I can see on my weight chart all those ocassions where I travelled. The weight usually goes down again after 2-3 days. Not sure about the other things though. Maybe your body got used to some additives in the food? During those three ocasions where I've been to the States and Canada I would be very hungry the three or so weeks afterwards as well - and I don't think I ever ate worse even though I tried finding healthy options - and I wasn't even trying to lose weight then. I think my body was just craving for bread with lots of added sugar, deli meat with added sugar and lots of salt, and all the other things I'm not used to.0
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I am about to do this very thing ... return to Canada and eat whatever food comes my way.
But I do plan to be quite active.
I'm guessing your elevated hunger is probably temporary. I think I'm hungry all the time now, but just in the last couple weeks I've realised that I'm a whole lot less hungry than I used to be. I suspect that after a few weeks of eating "normally" again in Canada, I'll return to my original hunger levels for a little while.
You might try dropping your calories to 1450 for a couple weeks ... then 1400 for a couple weeks ... then back to 1350. Ease back into it. If I'm ravenously hungry ... I may have to go with this method as well.
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Ride it out
It happens ...it could be air travel together with exercise together with hormones ..give it another couple of weeks
I think you could be aiming for 1-1.5lb loss now per week ..
Are you eating back exercise?0 -
I'm 5'8 and lost most of my weight at 0.5-1lb per week eating around 1800 ...long term maintenance is what counts0
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Is living in America why I am STARVING all the time?! That makes me sad. I need to move to Europe.0
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I think it depends a lot on what you're eating. If you eat food that keeps you full for longer while still fitting into your calorie allowance then that's probably the way to go. I know I'd starve from white toast and apples. I'm sure there's good food in Northern America, but certainly, those business district supermarkets in Downtown Calgary (good outdoor clothes shopping though) and some outskirt of Houston had very few healthy and filling choices. The food choices I got served at the MIT campus in Boston (all buffet style due to being a group affair) was completely rubbish: sugar drenched cereals, sugar coated AND filled croissants, sweet white bread, sweet yoghurt, fake cheese, egg rolls with 4 eggs and fake cheese, fruit: that was all the breakfast choices *sigh*0
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I suspect it's because you didn't really workout much while home and have started working out again. After 3 weeks of no working out to speak of and eating lots lowering your calories again and working out you probably need more food. Our bodies have hormones that prevent hunger pains if our calories are too low so that if we are in a period of famine we aren't in constant agony.
When I started on MFP at similar stats that you are I ate a lot more calories than 1350...to lose 1lb a week it was 1600 (which included exercise calories.)0 -
Your body got used to the food you were giving in America. Ride it out. Try and get past the hunger. I'd say if you stick to your deficient (and still REALLY want to lose 2lbs/week) for 2-3 weeks your body will get used to it again.0
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kristen6350 wrote: »Your body got used to the food you were giving in America. Ride it out. Try and get past the hunger. I'd say if you stick to your deficient (and still REALLY want to lose 2lbs/week) for 2-3 weeks your body will get used to it again.
Really? That's your final answer?0 -
I suspect it's because you didn't really workout much while home and have started working out again. After 3 weeks of no working out to speak of and eating lots lowering your calories again and working out you probably need more food. Our bodies have hormones that prevent hunger pains if our calories are too low so that if we are in a period of famine we aren't in constant agony.
When I started on MFP at similar stats that you are I ate a lot more calories than 1350...to lose 1lb a week it was 1600 (which included exercise calories.)
Gonna go with this^^0 -
I'd just like to add that bmr is what you need for your body to function normally while bed-ridden, while tdee is what you burn in a day with normal activity. If you are starving all the time and eating less than your bmr, that is probably why. Try eating eat at least your bmr and if you feel the need, cut back after awhile. Good luck.0
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I guess Americans eat all rubbish? No fat Europeans? What's with all this America bashing? I've been to Europe and I have seen plenty of sweets, breads, deli meats... !!!0
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Blueseraphchaos wrote: »I'd just like to add that bmr is what you need for your body to function normally while bed-ridden, while tdee is what you burn in a day with normal activity. If you are starving all the time and eating less than your bmr, that is probably why. Try eating eat at least your bmr and if you feel the need, cut back after awhile. Good luck.
Yah no....TDEE is total burn including exercise. NEAT is what you burn from normal activity.
You can eat less than your BMR for a while it's not as ad as most think.
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I must say it was harder to find good quality food in America. It CAN be found but the standard of food i have grown accustomed to in Australia is superior by leaps and bounds in my opinion. For instance, I eat this beautiful pot set natural yogurt here in Oz that can be found at your basic supermarket, but the only decent yoghurt I could find in America, even at Whole Foods for Pete's sake, was very very different and paled in comparison sadly. I was just happy to find one that wasn't fat free at least! Not bashing America but I think we can all agree that for the most part the majority of foods on offer there are depressingly lacking in nutrition.
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SassyMoonbeams wrote: »I must say it was harder to find good quality food in America. It CAN be found but the standard of food i have grown accustomed to in Australia is superior by leaps and bounds in my opinion. For instance, I eat this beautiful pot set natural yogurt here in Oz that can be found at your basic supermarket, but the only decent yoghurt I could find in America, even at Whole Foods for Pete's sake, was very very different and paled in comparison sadly. I was just happy to find one that wasn't fat free at least! Not bashing America but I think we can all agree that for the most part the majority of foods on offer there are depressingly lacking in nutrition.
Not to mention the abundance of fresh fruit here!
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SassyMoonbeams wrote: »I must say it was harder to find good quality food in America. It CAN be found but the standard of food i have grown accustomed to in Australia is superior by leaps and bounds in my opinion. For instance, I eat this beautiful pot set natural yogurt here in Oz that can be found at your basic supermarket, but the only decent yoghurt I could find in America, even at Whole Foods for Pete's sake, was very very different and paled in comparison sadly. I was just happy to find one that wasn't fat free at least! Not bashing America but I think we can all agree that for the most part the majority of foods on offer there are depressingly lacking in nutrition.
I'm not American nor do I live there but I'm pretty sure they have an amazing range of fresh produce
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loribethrice wrote: »Is living in America why I am STARVING all the time?! That makes me sad. I need to move to Europe.
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yah your opinion. I think it is what your "accustomed" to. As I found I didn't necessarily care for most foods in Europe either. England was the worst IMO. I however, did love the sweets and breads, but didn't care for most of the everyday foods. I wouldn't say they were worse then the American foods, just different. I find the comments insulting to America but that's just me.
I wish you best in you weight loss journey!0 -
SassyMoonbeams wrote: »I must say it was harder to find good quality food in America. It CAN be found but the standard of food i have grown accustomed to in Australia is superior by leaps and bounds in my opinion. For instance, I eat this beautiful pot set natural yogurt here in Oz that can be found at your basic supermarket, but the only decent yoghurt I could find in America, even at Whole Foods for Pete's sake, was very very different and paled in comparison sadly. I was just happy to find one that wasn't fat free at least! Not bashing America but I think we can all agree that for the most part the majority of foods on offer there are depressingly lacking in nutrition.
I'm not American nor do I live there but I'm pretty sure they have an amazing range of fresh produce
I lived in Canada most of my life, then moved to Australia ... and I've been quite pleasantly surprised by the food here in Australia. The fresh produce year round, the great selections on the shelf, like that pot set natural yogurt (so good!!), and so on.
From a Canadian perspective, you'd have to live in BC to get anything like it.
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yah your opinion. I think it is what your "accustomed" to. As I found I didn't necessarily care for most foods in Europe either. England was the worst IMO. I however, did love the sweets and breads, but didn't care for most of the everyday foods. I wouldn't say they were worse then the American foods, just different. I find the comments insulting to America but that's just me.
I wish you best in you weight loss journey!
Heinz Baked Beans, and many other products, are formulated differently for different tastes across the world
edit with a snipped from Wiki
"The American product contains brown sugar where the British beans do not, and the US product contains 14g of sugar per 16 oz tin[12] compared to 7g for the British version (equating to 140 vs 90 calories). The US beans have a mushier texture and are darker in color than their UK counterpart. This has resulted in a situation where the product is now imported back to the brand's home country. For several years, the UK Heinz Baked Beans have been available in the US, either in different sized cans from those sold in the UK or in a 385 gram can (the same can as the 415 gram can in the UK) with an "export" label with American English spelling and the word "baked" dropped from the title on the label. These are sold in many US specialty stores, such is the popularity of baked beans and their appeal to expats. Bush, Van Camp, B&M, and Heinz all produce pork-free baked beans labeled as vegetarian beans, making this American dish available to people who abstain from pork for religious, dietary, or ethical reasons."0 -
yah your opinion. I think it is what your "accustomed" to. As I found I didn't necessarily care for most foods in Europe either. England was the worst IMO. I however, did love the sweets and breads, but didn't care for most of the everyday foods. I wouldn't say they were worse then the American foods, just different. I find the comments insulting to America but that's just me.
I wish you best in you weight loss journey!
Heinz Baked Beans, and many other products, are formulated differently for different tastes across the world
Yes they are. I always thought Heinz Ketchup (North American) and Heinz Tomato Sauce (Australian) were pretty much the same thing, but they are vastly different.
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Thank you so much for the advice guys....
I suspect it is that I grew accustomed to eating at maintenance and now my body is being a big big baby. I don't like the idea of eating under bmr because I dont want to lose lean muscle, so I will go to 1600 for a couple weeks and see how it works out. I'm bummed to go down to losing just a pound a week, maybe 4 a month as opposed to 10, especially with how hard I workout. BUT MFP wants me to eat 1100 to lose 2 a week and even at 1350 I was still losing about 2 a week so I'm hoping this increase won't slow me down too much.
I dont want to rely on tdee....rather focus on my bmr and eat back exercise calories calculated with my HRM. I'm a control freak haha and don't trus the tdee estimation. Too much margin for error there.
For those of you who have had to start losing weight slower, how did you deal with the slower loss?
SezxyStef that's a really interesting theory......my first week back lifting and I had intense DOMS so maybe that has something to do wih the hunger too. I did not expect I'd be that sore.
It might be hormonal too since shark week is due for me in a little over a week....
Thank you so much again guys!0 -
You only have 50 pounds to lose... Decrease your goal to losing 1 pound a week.
But honestly? My vacation last July is what totally messed me up too. I was down to my lowest just before I left (2 pounds from my goal). Now close to a year later I'm still 1 pound heavier. Never managed to get back on track after I came back because yes, I'm just hungrier. And that's with eating pretty much at maintenance. It's not a huge deal as it's still close to my goal and I've lost some inches, but yes it's frustrating!0 -
Ride it out
It happens ...it could be air travel together with exercise together with hormones ..give it another couple of weeks
I think you could be aiming for 1-1.5lb loss now per week ..
Are you eating back exercise?
Yes I eat back all my exercise calories. That's partially why I work out so hard, so I can "afford" chocolate every night LOL0 -
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SassyMoonbeams wrote: »Ride it out
It happens ...it could be air travel together with exercise together with hormones ..give it another couple of weeks
I think you could be aiming for 1-1.5lb loss now per week ..
Are you eating back exercise?
Yes I eat back all my exercise calories. That's partially why I work out so hard, so I can "afford" chocolate every night LOL
How are you judging your exercise burns?0 -
SassyMoonbeams wrote: »I must say it was harder to find good quality food in America. It CAN be found but the standard of food i have grown accustomed to in Australia is superior by leaps and bounds in my opinion. For instance, I eat this beautiful pot set natural yogurt here in Oz that can be found at your basic supermarket, but the only decent yoghurt I could find in America, even at Whole Foods for Pete's sake, was very very different and paled in comparison sadly. I was just happy to find one that wasn't fat free at least! Not bashing America but I think we can all agree that for the most part the majority of foods on offer there are depressingly lacking in nutrition.
I'm not American nor do I live there but I'm pretty sure they have an amazing range of fresh produce
I lived in Canada most of my life, then moved to Australia ... and I've been quite pleasantly surprised by the food here in Australia. The fresh produce year round, the great selections on the shelf, like that pot set natural yogurt (so good!!), and so on.
From a Canadian perspective, you'd have to live in BC to get anything like it.
Yessssss girllll you know what I'm talking about!
I was born and raised in the us and have lived in Australia for over 8 years. I am not anti American, I love America and am currently working towards moving back to America. There is a difference between downright insulting and berating a country vs being critical. And yes there is a great range of good foods in America BUT it is more challenging to find the good, high quality stuff. One of my friends in az who is extremely conscious of healthful foods shops at a huge array of stores to get all the best she can. Whereas here in Oz you can get amazing quality just in one or two stores. They are much more strict about the food quality here. Truth. If I recall correctly, Oz won't even import American meats because of all of the hormones. If people choose to be insulted by the reality of this then that's fine but a little misguided?
Stutba I wish you well too, thank you. We will just have to agree to disagree. I was just saying that it is easier to make healthy food choices in Oz as the good quality food is, if nothing else, at least more readily available. That being said...australian mayonnaise is disgusting. It's SWEET. Blegh.0 -
You only have 50 pounds to lose... Decrease your goal to losing 1 pound a week.
But honestly? My vacation last July is what totally messed me up too. I was down to my lowest just before I left (2 pounds from my goal). Now close to a year later I'm still 1 pound heavier. Never managed to get back on track after I came back because yes, I'm just hungrier. And that's with eating pretty much at maintenance. It's not a huge deal as it's still close to my goal and I've lost some inches, but yes it's frustrating!
So strange!! Maybe it's cause we've been at such a restriction for so long that once we go to maintenance our body refuses to go back?? Maybe your body is just happy where it is now?? So weird!
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SassyMoonbeams wrote: »Ride it out
It happens ...it could be air travel together with exercise together with hormones ..give it another couple of weeks
I think you could be aiming for 1-1.5lb loss now per week ..
Are you eating back exercise?
Yes I eat back all my exercise calories. That's partially why I work out so hard, so I can "afford" chocolate every night LOL
How are you judging your exercise burns?
I use a polar F7, I also have a fitbit but I rely on my polar for logging exercise calories0 -
Vacations prove weight loss is stupid and doesn't make sense. I gained 20lbs in one week on my vacation a few weeks ago. Yes. You read that right. 20lbs in one week. 10 came off in the first few days but as of today I'm still 7lbs more than before I left. I know, you're thinking, "well you probably ate non-stop for 7 days. Nope. A few beers on the beach and barely ate until dinner. So that equals 3500 calories over a day? Nope. But still gained. Sometimes there's just no logic to it all.
What.the.heck. The mechanics of weight loss/gain honestly are still largely a mystery aren't they....?0
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